A REVIEW OF THE PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS OF WIDOWHOOD AMONG OLDER WOMEN IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Widowhood is a momentous life event that could affect the psychological, social, and financial well-being of widows.This study investigated widowhood and its effects on older women in Nigeria. It explored widowhood from a global perspective and was narrowed down to the perspective of widowhood in Nigeria and reviewed statistics which revealed that a staggering number of elderly women are widows, yet, so little has been done in terms of social relief, financial, or psychological aid all over the world. For this reason, this research was done to better understand widowhood and its all-round effects. With the aid of existing literature, this study examined how widowhood affects psychological well-being, financial stability, and even the social status of widows. It also pointed out common cultural practices done to widows that are detrimental to their well-being. Guided mainly by Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, which highlights the developmental stages an individual must attain psychosocially, this study pointed out how widowhood could ‘drown the work done in previous stages of development and make it difficult for widows to go through the rest of their lives with fulfilment. The study also reviewed the conformity theory as a factor influencing widows' blind adherence to the detrimental cultural practices meted out to them. This paper contributes to the understanding of the complexities and effects of widowhood and suggests interventions to reduce its impact.